“May love be the spirit of this congregation, not love as sentiment and good feelings, but love as good will acted out. Such love seeks freedom for all; such love respects everyone’s dignity; love as good will seeks the truth as essential to good relationships. Love demands thoughtfulness and good judgment, not least because one must discern what is not worthy of our love. Love knows that love is difficult, but worth the effort.” – Dale Arnink
As we enter the season of peace and goodwill, I am reminded that love has many meanings. While we have only this one word to express so many feelings and ideas, and it often is overused, when I think of love as seeking “truth as essential to good relationships,” I can’t help but be drawn to the word and to the concept. At a recent Sunday service, there was a bit of confusion about the order of happenings. The confusion was handled with honesty, grace, and humor. Good will was truly acted out and I felt good in the fun of an imperfect moment and the love of the congregation.
I believe one of the great strengths of this congregation is our respect for one another and our ability to be candid. Soon we need to sit down together and ask ourselves some challenging questions about our shared values and priorities. Our ability to be open and honest and expansive in what we want to see for our church community should help us define a vision and mission for our church. Once we understand our shared values and priorities, we can use our vision to guide our decision making in all of our programs and policies. As members and friends of this congregation, we have made a decision that being a part of this congregation is an important element of our lives. Together, we can be so much more, and do so much more, than we can separately.
Saturday, January 30, 2010 has been set aside for us to discuss our values and dreams to begin to understand our vision and mission. It is important for everyone to participate. Whoever is in the room that day will own the vision. If you want to see yourself reflected in the future, you’ll want to make sure you attend. Please reserve this date and plan to be there.
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In early November the Board held its first policy review meeting. You may have heard Benette’s forum presentation on a Comprehensive Safety Policy for the church. The board feels that making sure policy is in place for the operation of the church is part of our continuing ministry. It’s a way to make sure we continue to do the work of the church in a safe nurturing, effective environment. We will continue to work on this project to provide a continued strong foundation for our church community
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In the spirit of goodwill and community service and outreach, the church will have a “mitten tree” this year. Our Christmas tree will be available for decoration with your donations of hats and mittens and scarves. This is a good way to involve children in giving to others. These items will be donated to the Crisis Center of Northern New Mexico. They are also in need of blankets, pillows, and towels.
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As we head toward the end of one year and the start of another, I wish you all time for reflection and peace and grace.
Rebecca Howard
2009-2010 Church President
